Dlux Berg Build

[TEDROCKZ]

Originally Posted by jcboof

I picked up a nearly new Cobra pro lathe with diamond bit and slave motor for like 20 bucks on rctech. Cheap and easy to find. I've heard Hudys were not all that good. A buddy of mine who is a brushed motor guru recommended the cobra and it works great.

Cobras are good for the price! Hudys with v-blocks are really good. Fantoms and the H.A.R.D. lathes are pretty much the best. Set up and really good bits on any of them is the key.

[EddieO]

Oof, thats not very Hudy like. I am not a big fan of the bearing ones either......though I have never heard of issues like that. Did you email Hudy? They stand behind their stuff 100%, so I would be surprised if they didn't offer to fix it.

One thing I have learned with the machinist types......they use a pit lathe and are never satisfied with the results.......they always know it can cut better on a big lathe...

And you don't want a mirror finish........should look like the bottom of a CD, a satin type look.

Originally Posted by SkaldidDog

Not so sure about the dedicated comm lathe. I bought a brand new Hudy lathe and the piece o crap had two crunchy bearings on the shaft has an o ring on each end. After a complete tear down and greasing of the bearings it was a little smoother, but still not smooth. Even so, it still cut like crap even with a brand new carbide bit (MMC# 3367A131). So I did what you did, I chucked it up on my big lathe. Runout via dial indicator on the tip of the shaftwas a couple of ten thou' before I started cutting. It cut well (with the same bit) and after about 0.0015" removed (5 passes to get that much off), she was smooth and shiny. I agree with Egressor that your bit did more of a smoothing job than a cutting one. It should have a mirror finish. But don't run out and buy a comm lathe just yet.

The Cobra's work....they can be a little finicky, but they are decent lathe. There is a gazzillion of them out there.....so good deals like that for $20 are common......all you gotta do is LOOK!

Originally Posted by jcboof

I picked up a nearly new Cobra pro lathe with diamond bit and slave motor for like 20 bucks on rctech. Cheap and easy to find. I've heard Hudys were not all that good. A buddy of mine who is a brushed motor guru recommended the cobra and it works great.

Later EddieO

[House]

While we are chatting about lathes, I just picked up a sweet little Emco Unimat 3.
Any of you guys have one of those?

[EddieO]

Thats what Big JIm used to cut comms for a long long time. At the end, he would use Integy lathes, cause Arthur (the owner) paid him to promote them.

I have an Emco Compact 5, which is the replacement to the Unimat 3. Big jim convinced me I needed it to cut comms....I think we cut like 10 on it.....way too much work. We used it in the end to turn down stacks, or prep the arms for the comm hats...solid little units. I actually have two of them now.


Later EddieO

[Erik D_lux]

Originally Posted by SkaldidDog

It cut well (with the same bit) and after about 0.0015" removed (5 passes to get that much off), she was smooth and shiny.

Do you mean .0015 or did you mean .015? .0015 would not have even done anything to my comm, .015 is over 2x what I took. Thanks for the part number too.



Thanks to everybody for the advice. I left it as was in the picture and got out and ran it for a couple of hours. I gotta say, even for an imperfect job, the motors are running like raped apes. The brushes dont show significant wear either. Maybe it was the proper break in @ 12.6V for 3hrs straight that did it good? Oh, I am sure the stand up brushes helped too. LOL. I am actually pretty happy with the results but will use a lot of this advice on the next one.

[Erik D_lux]

All went fairly well on the maiden voyage. I was able to test out the durability of the entire car including all the shafts and hex pins. For some odd reason my RX is losing the signal from my TX. In one of those situations my car was on a 20' hill. It went full throttle reverse and stuck in reverse, launching off the hill and then continuing to cart wheel the rest of the way down. All was good other than a bent upper link bolt and I lost one of my rod ends from my shocks when the screw in the cap pulled out of the rod end.

I gotta say, its really nice to have all your wheels running perfectly true and straight. I dont know that I have ever had that. My axles and hex pins have been in bad shape forever.

The car did feel really light in the front. I ditched my two upper brass pieces and threw my steel ring back on. MUCH better but, too much weight. So I came home and milled down almost the entire top half of the knuckle weight.

Sorry, no more Iphone pics, I promise.

[Erik D_lux]

I suppose I miss my white cab and axle setup. I am really liking the white wheels and the white panels these days.

[HTRDDZL]

Did you weigh combined knuckle weight before and after? I am running the main weight and two of the .3's on each knuckle. I was also thinking of shaving the tops and running half a steel in the bottom. I was wondering if the weight was similar to before the cut without the steel ring. Or what the final difference was?

[Erik D_lux]

Yeah, I did.

Before was 6oz, after 6oz. I was not running the steel ring before I cut the top of the main weight off.

I was kinda stuck since the steel ring and main weight would have been 6oz by themselves. I wanted to run brass all the way to the face of the wheel too.

On the Berg style setup up front I used to run 7oz of knuckle weight but since these Bully knuckles weigh 1oz more, I deducted that from the knuckle weights. I was concerned that I would not get the same feeling since the setup was changed. Now it feels good again and feels the same as my old setup. I really could not tell a difference yesterday from one setup to the other.

Are you running that narrow in the front? My old setup was a 850 hub with a CDW 1/16 spacer (11.250 width). This allowed me to run .900 or 3 .300 rings. Cutting all those in half and then a steel ring put me right at that 7oz mark, actually I think it was 7.2oz.

[Gear Jammer]

The BergBully hybrid is looking great Erik!

I shaved the tops off of the knuckle weights on my 1.9 rig earlier this week. I was planning on doing the same setup; just with .100 half rings.

[HTRDDZL]

Originally Posted by Erik D_lux

Yeah, I did.

Before was 6oz, after 6oz. I was not running the steel ring before I cut the top of the main weight off.

I was kinda stuck since the steel ring and main weight would have been 6oz by themselves. I wanted to run brass all the way to the face of the wheel too.

On the Berg style setup up front I used to run 7oz of knuckle weight but since these Bully knuckles weigh 1oz more, I deducted that from the knuckle weights. I was concerned that I would not get the same feeling since the setup was changed. Now it feels good again and feels the same as my old setup. I really could not tell a difference yesterday from one setup to the other.

Are you running that narrow in the front? My old setup was a 850 hub with a CDW 1/16 spacer (11.250 width). This allowed me to run .900 or 3 .300 rings. Cutting all those in half and then a steel ring put me right at that 7oz mark, actually I think it was 7.2oz.

Right now I am running the 850 hub. I could fit some more brass but would rather cut the tops off the weights and then run half a steel ring. I made some rear weight holders that hang the weight low and love it. Thats what had me thinking on the fronts to do the same idea. Worked out great you did the math for me. I am at 5.3 oz on the knuckles after I modded the weight to fit rcbro knuckles. So I would like to gain about an oz on each side and I believe with trimming and using the steel ring it sould work out perfect! Could ya bring any rings to the comp tomorrow?

[Wilard77]

Hey I got a question about those axles on the stubs what did you do to get threads did you just loctite a bolt in there and cut the head off or what?

[Erik D_lux]

Originally Posted by HTRDDZL

Right now I am running the 850 hub. I could fit some more brass but would rather cut the tops off the weights and then run half a steel ring. I made some rear weight holders that hang the weight low and love it. Thats what had me thinking on the fronts to do the same idea. Worked out great you did the math for me. I am at 5.3 oz on the knuckles after I modded the weight to fit rcbro knuckles. So I would like to gain about an oz on each side and I believe with trimming and using the steel ring it sould work out perfect! Could ya bring any rings to the comp tomorrow?

If you cut the brass in half, then you have twice as many rings and you could stack one more on. Since you will lose weight by taking them off the top, you could make up for it with the steel ring. I think you already had a grasp on that but just clarifying.

Sorry, I dont have any steel rings to give right now. I should have more next week, I am told. I do have some smaller non standard ones you could try if you like? I have them with me now. Hit me up tomorrow if you want them.

Originally Posted by Wilard77

Hey I got a question about those axles on the stubs what did you do to get threads did you just loctite a bolt in there and cut the head off or what?

Just used a set screw, red lock tight and then my standard nuts.

[stubs179]

Originally Posted by Erik D_lux

I suppose I miss my white cab and axle setup. I am really liking the white wheels and the white panels these days.

You and 53willys must look cute out practicing together! White wheels and panels and a carbon chassis.

[53 willys]

Originally Posted by stubs179

You and 53willys must look cute out practicing together! White wheels and panels and a carbon chassis.

we were wondering how long it would take before the razzing started...heehe

[djjiz]

Looks good.. How fast does it go?

[Erik D_lux]

Originally Posted by stubs179

You and 53willys must look cute out practicing together! White wheels and panels and a carbon chassis.

I can only answer for myself... but, yeah, I am damn cute.

Originally Posted by djjiz

Looks good.. How fast does it go?

Fast enough for flames?

I would actually like a bit more wheel speed. It may be a bad idea for me though.

[CrAwLeR13]

Great job on your podium finish this past weekend erik. I also had a podium finish. Way to keep those DLUX PRODUCTS ON TOP.

[Erik D_lux]

Thanks Geo!

Did you end up 3rd then?

Shafts and pins held up great. I really appreciated the confidance they gave me. At one point I had my whole car stuck in a crack, full throttle but nothing was moving I think the weak point is definitely at the ESC's now. Not a bad place to be.

[Hulksta]

Congrats on the win Erik